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Outcry intensifies over Papua blackout

Gemma Holliani Cahya and Ardila Syakriah

The Jakarta Post

Jakarta /
Sat, August 24 2019 / 12:14 am

Solidarity: An activist holds up a poster during a demonstration in Jakarta on Friday in protest of the internet blackout in Papua and West Papua, imposed following riots in a number of the provinces’ cities. The violence was a reaction to physical and racial abuse of Papuan students in Surabaya, East Java.(JP/Seto Wardhana)(JP/Seto Wardhana)

Solidarity: An activist holds up a poster during a demonstration in Jakarta on Friday in protest of the internet blackout in Papua and West Papua, imposed following riots in a number of the provinces’ cities. The violence was a reaction to physical and racial abuse of Papuan students in Surabaya, East Java.(JP/Seto Wardhana)Papua is widely known for its poor telephone and internet network, and coupled with challenging geographical terrain, it is a difficult region for gathering and verifying information.But conditions have worsened since Wednesday when the government decided to block cellular services in Papua and West Papua under the pretext of security and maintaining stability amid unrest following racial abuse against Papuan students in Surabaya, East Java.Dozens of human rights activists protested the blackout in front of the Communications and Information Ministry building on Fri...